


Sit By The Fire (And Tell Me What You Tell The Stars)

by PansexualDonnaNoble



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Heart to Hearts, bit of canon divergence in the sense of a different conversation after dorian talks to his father, faint mentions of early sera/inquisitor, referenced homophobia, the inquisitor is called ryn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 16:39:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17901713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PansexualDonnaNoble/pseuds/PansexualDonnaNoble
Summary: Dorian didn't come back for three days.Or, after his talk with his father, Dorian has a heart to heart with Ryn.





	Sit By The Fire (And Tell Me What You Tell The Stars)

Dorian doesn't come back to Skyhold for three days.

Ryn tries to respect the need for solitude, especially after all of _that._  It doesn't stop her from worrying however.

Dorian didn't just go _away_  when upset. He loved being dramatic about things, even when breaking. He never let _anything_ get the last word but himself.

It had been annoying at first, he seemed full of and far too sure of himself, smug. But in the months since he had joined them she had grown fond of it. He was a better man than she had thought he would be.

She hoped he didn't think she thought less of him. She wasn't his father. She would _never_  be like his father. She didn't have any issue with who he fancied. There was nothing dangerous or wrong about it. They- well, she _thinks_ they are friends. Possibly best, even. Ryn Trevaleyn did not leave her allies or friends to suffer in the cold.

She's just returned from a day long trek to seal a nearby rift when he does return, she only finds out when she overhears Cassandra complaining about some annoyance he has caused her. It's more or less laced with fondness, however.

Her eyes scan the tower, as if it was a battlefield, and dismounts her horse.

She wasn't...very good at this. She wasn't quite sure how to approach the topic of his feelings. She was more used to the Trevaleyn way of hurting. Never bringing up what hurt you, and playing others, playing The Game far too well. Comfort was never a Trevaleyn strong suit.

Aknowledging a few greetings from various faces, Ryn sighs, Climbing up the staircase she mentally goes over the choices on how to simply ask him if he's _okay._

However she manages it, she needs him to know nothing has changed. And he will, no matter what, always be welcomed at Skyhold

The sound of raven cries fill the silence as she mulls over the events of the past three days, her soft footsteps a steady unceasing rhythm as she climbs, ignoring how uncannily similar her own father is to his. He was far colder but the very loud unhappiness with who you were was _too_  uncanny.

She finds him in the library, hazelnut eyes intently studying a book she's sure he's only reading as a distraction, his brows are furrowed faintly, you would not notice unless you _knew_ something stressful had occured for him. And she does know. The light of the torches illuminate his golden skin like the sun.

Stopping a few feet from him, she shifts her feet for a moment, before clearing her throat. The other man looks up expectantly.

"Inquisitor! To what do I owe this pleasure?" He smirks.

There it was. The normal Dorian. Or at least a pretending one. Or maybe what has happened hasn't troubled him too much. Judging from the reaction to his father's words, however, Ryn is betting it's the first.

Ryn smiles softly. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

"About?" He raises an eyebrow.

Her lime eyes stare at him. He only huffs a breath, before gently setting down the book she doesn't recall getting the name of, and crosses his arms.

"Right, _that_  unpleasantness. Should I be worried that I have unwelcomed my stay here?" His tone is full of his usual smugness, but there's something else in it. Something....sad?

Ryn blinks. "Excuse me?"

The mage throws his hands in the air. "You know, something along the lines of 'get this tevinter away from the young! He's corrupting the youth with his _ungodly_ ways and we can't have be having that!"

"It's far from ungodly, Dorian." Ryn says softly.

The curves of Dorian's lips twitch into a ghost of a smile, he stares at her for a moment, studying her expression. That was a test, she thinks. Of course it was.

"I meant what I said back there. I don't care that you like men, Dorian. You're my friend. You know this, right?."

His face softens, and he chuckles.

"Maker...You keep surprising me, Inquisitor, you know that?" He smiles.

Ryn tilts her head, eyes squinting. "And how do I surprise you?"

" _Friend!"_  He laughs. "I didn't see myself becoming friends with The Herald Of Andraste, but you certainly surprised me there." He informs gleefully.

Before she can say anything else, he starts walking.

"Follow me will you?" He calls.

Perplexed, she obeys, trailing behind him as they descend the stairs.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere quiet, the raven's are quite loud this time of day. It can drive anyone mad. Maybe Corypheus owned some!" He informs.

They walk in silence, their footsteps in harmony with each others. Until Dorian reaches for a door, gently opening it into the throne room. He extends a hand out, allowing her to go through first. For once, the throne room was peaceful, tame and subdued. only few people stood speaking to each other, conversations overlapping as the morning light shined through the stained windows.

Dorian settles on a chair near the burning of the fire, and after a moment gestures for her to do the same. She complies.

For seventeen seconds, the air is only filled with indistinct conversations and the soft crackle and pop of the fireplace. After eighteen, Dorian speaks.

"I never had a friend before, you know. This is a...welcomed change." His voice is only barely louder than a whisper. He shifts in his seat. He doesn't look at her, uncharacistically avoidant. Her eyes burn into his neck.

"I'm sorry about your father, Dorian. You deserved better than all of that. If there's anything I can do, you only have to ask." She means it more than she's ever meant anything.

"I think he'd of been happier if I had been a bastard, then he wouldn't need to go through all of the trouble to make me into a son he could be proud of. Or a son that would make the Pavus name proud. You could tell that's what he wanted, when I was a boy and not married to whatever lord's daughter he saw first by fourteen."

The birds awaken outside, their sudden song a constant stream of sound despite the heavy closed doors. One melodic chirp after another.

"You don't think he loves you?" She asks.

"I think he maybe does, in his own way, he loves me. but proud of me?" He scoffs. "I don't think i've ever made him feel an ounce of pride."

A pregnant pause, before Ryn speaks.

" _I'm_  proud of you." She says. Because it's true. It's incredibly so.

They fall silent after that, as they both wake further, the morning making them both come alive with the rest of Thedas. Like some golden restart for another day. Another day with a rift in the sky and the fade's creatures pouring out of it.

Eventually, Dorian gives a shaky exhale, sniffing. A smile forming.

"But, oh, give it a few days, i'll be fine." He states with merry nonchalance. "But, I... I do appreciate your friendship, Inquisitor. I... I truly do. He says softly, his meeting hers. She's never seen him this sincere. It's disarming, almost.

"Will you stay?" She asks. "In Skyhold?"

"If you'll have me. We do have a giant hole in the sky to take care of, in case this little heart to heart made it slip your mind.

Ryn smiles. "Thank you."

Neither speak again for a while, as more people eventually file inside, one by one as more conversations float by them.

"I suppose I should offer my own support, with whatever is happening between you and that Sera girl." Dorian eventually speaks. "A solidarity of sorts, If you will."

" _Nothing_ is happening between me and Sera!" She squawks indignantly. It wasn't a lie. Not exactly. Nothing _yet._

"Right!" The man says cheerily.

She huffs, only managing to be offended for six seconds before breaking into a fit of giggles, throwing her head back and  hitting the top of the chair in amusement. Dorian grins. The sun only gets higher with each passing moment after.

Soon enough, a warmth washes over them, the fire a soft, welcomed heat that radiates both of them, a warmth of content and fondness ignites both their bodies, a sweet embrace that seems to stick onto both of them.

They'd be alright. He'd be alright. For now, however, they had a world to prevent being destroyed.


End file.
